Japan FestOH! brings a full day of cultural programming to Riverside Crossing Park

Families looking for a Saturday outing can spend the day with Japanese performances, workshops and food at Riverside Crossing Park. JASCO’s Japan FestOH! is scheduled for noon to 7 p.m. Sept. 12, 2026, at 6625 Riverside Drive.

The Japan-America Society of Central Ohio, known as JASCO, is presenting the festival as part of its mission to bring Ohio’s Japanese and American communities together.

What to expect

The festival will combine live stage performances, martial arts demonstrations, hands-on workshops, sake tastings and food and craft vendors.

Activities will include yo-yo fishing, toy goldfish scooping, body-art stickers, ring toss, pinwheel making and fan painting. Calligraphy and katazome, a Japanese stencil-dyeing practice, are also among the planned workshops.

Plan your visit

Admission is free, with suggested donations of $10 per adult and $5 per child age 12 and younger. Families should plan for an additional cost if they want to join certain offerings: Some cultural activities and workshops require separate tickets.

Riverside Crossing Park overlooks the Scioto River and includes a pavilion, restrooms, water features, shared-use paths, river overlooks, seating and Wi-Fi. Those amenities give visitors options for taking a break or walking along the riverfront between festival activities.

For seven hours Saturday, the Scioto riverfront will be more than a backdrop as Dublin families move among Japanese performances, workshops, cultural activities and vendors in the public park.